Sewing machine having an automatic control system

ABSTRACT

A sewing machine has an automatic control system. This system provides for an automatic sewing mode for sewing according to previously stored sewing data and an ordinary sewing mode for sewing independently of the stored sewing data. When an interruption signal is generated by an interruption signal generating device during sewing process in the automatic sewing mode, the ordinary sewing mode is set and the pressure on the presser foot is released. Therefore, it is capable of smoothly feeding a material when feeding direction of the material is varied.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sewing machine which forms stitches by controlling operations both of a stitch forming device and of a work fabric feeding device in accordance with a selectively preset mode, and more particularly, to a sewing machine which is capable of releasing a fabric holding pressure according to the mode.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Generally speaking, a sewing machine is equipped with a presser foot for imparting a fabric holding pressure to a work fabric. Each of the sewing machines, which are disclosed, for instance, in the specifications of U.S Pat. Nos. 3,688,714 and 4,538,533 includes a presser foot that is so biased as to move downwards by a spring. When commencing a sewing operation, the above-described presser foot is descended, and the fabric holding pressure corresponding to the biasing force of the spring is applied on the work fabric.

However, since the foregoing presser foot of the sewing machine is disposed at a descending position at which it usually presses the work fabric during the sewing operation, it is unfeasible to automatically release the fabric holding pressure of the presser foot during an automatic sewing operation based on sewing data which are stored beforehand in a storage device.

For this reason, the sewing that will hereinafter be mentioned becomes impractical, this bringing about an inconvenience. To be specific, in order to sew a piece of fabric such as a work fabric having hems which intercross each other to a plain cloth, provided that the sewing data relative to rectilinearity along the hems are stored in the storage device, it is unfeasible for the sewing machine to form circularly arc stitches at a portion where a feeding direction of the fabric is varied while releasing the pressure at this feeding direction varying portion by interrupting the sewing operation on the basis of the sewing data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a sewing machine which is capable of performing an ordinary sewing operation regardless of its sewing data by interrupting an automatic sewing operation based on the sewing data that are previously stored in a storage device. A further object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine capable of smoothly feeding out the fabric at a feeding direction varying portion by releasing a fabric holding pressure of a presser foot concurrently with the above-mentioned interruption.

To this end, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a sewing machine which comprises: a first control means having a plurality of modes for controlling both a means for forming stitches and a means for feeding a work fabric, this first control means being possessed of an automatic mode in which to form the stitches in accordance with data and of an ordinary mode in which to form the stitches regardless of the above-described data; and a second control means for setting the first control means in the ordinary mode and for activating an actuating means.

In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned actuating means essentially consists of a servo solenoid having a protractible and retractable armature and of a kinetic transmitting mechanism for transmitting protractive and retractive motions of the amarture to the presser foot, this kinetic transmitting mechanism being disposed between the amarture of the servo solenoid and the presser foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 to 10 in combination show one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a sewing machine;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing presser foot actuating mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a feeding mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a partially expanded view in section of the feeding mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a partially expanded view showing a fabric end detecting device;

FIG. 6 is an expanded front view of a control panel;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a work fabric;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control system of the sewing machine;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are flow charts each showing control programs of the sewing machine; and

FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described at full length with reference to the accompanying drawings. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, a main shaft 2 is rotatably supported within an arm 1a of a machine frame 1, and a pulley 3 is fixed to the right end thereof. A needle bar 4 is so supported by the arm 1a as to be vertically movable, and a needle 5 is attached to the lower end thereofturn in inadequate browning/crisping of the coating and overheating of the fish portions interior. Excessive plate separation can also undesirably lead to scorching of the mounting board 46.

Still referring to FIG'S 8, 9 and 9A, the mounting board 46 is desirably fabricated from dielectric materials, i.e., microwave transparent, with paperboard being the material of choice due to cost and familiarity. The panels 40 and 42 are constructed simply by laminating or securely bonding one layer to another in appropriate sequence with adhesive means with the adhesive means (not shown) from layer to layer being either the same or different. Conventional food approved adhesives can be used. Although much less preferred, the panels can be merely juxtaposed instead of being laminated.

Reference is made now to FIG. 10 which shows an embodiment of the present article 100 having a similar general construction to article 10 described above. In this figure, elements which are the same as elements in FIG.'S 1-9 bear like reference numerals. This embodiment is especially suitable for larger packages containing, for example, 12 pieces of fish sticks 102. FIG. 10 depicts that sleeve 14 of article 100 as having a second bottom window 104 in addition to first window 37. Preferably, the windows 37 and 104 are evenly spaced apart and from the open ends 28 and 29 so as allow microwave passage therethrough to heat the center portions of the fish stick pieces 102.

Referring now to FIG. 11, it can be seen that article 100 is substantially similar to article 10 and essentially comprises tray 36 holding fish sticks 102 which rest upon heating susceptor 42. Mounted over fish sticks 102 is the upper heating susceptor 40 over which lies top pacer 48.

However, now referring to FIG. 12, it can be seen that article 100 comprises a lower means for spacing 106 heating susceptor 42 from the microwave shield 32 which comprises corrugated ribs or fluting 108 integrally formed as part of tray 36. The skilled artisan can thus appreciate that a variety of package constructions can be readily provided which accomplish the desired controlled plate separation. In addition to the spacer elements 48 and 52 of article 10 or the tray ribs 108 of article 100, the essential plate separation can be achieved in other embodiments without either of these additional elements by careful selection and rigidity of other package members and careful package fabrication and handling.

It should be understood that the foregoing description of the invention is intended merely to be illustrative thereof and that the invention is not confined to the construction and arrangements of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A package useful for packaging a frozen food to be heated and browned by microwave energy in a microwave oven, comprising:an outer carton having a top closed major surface, a bottom closed major surface spaced apart and parallel to the top, a pair of spaced, parallel closed side elements, and a pair of spaced, opposed open sides defining an interior food cavity, said carton being fabricated from a dielectric material, wherein each of said major surfaces and closed side elements include a microwave shield layer, wherein each closed side element has a window and wherein the bottom closed major surface has a window; a tray having a bottom positioned within said cavity for supporting the food; a first browning means mounted in the bottom of said tray capable of converting microwave energy into heat for browning a lower surface of the food located within said cavity; a first spacer positioned intermediate the first browning means and the bottom closed major surface said spacer having a thickness ranging from about 1 to 25.0 mm. thereby defining a first plate separation between the microwave shield and the first browning means ranging from about 1 to 25.0 mm.; a second browning means capable of converting microwave energy into heat for browning an upper surface of the food positioned above and resting upon the food; and a second spacer positioned intermediate the second browning means and the top closed major surface said spacer having a thickness ranging from about 1 to 25 mm. thereby defining a second plate separation between the microwave shield and the second browning means ranging from about 1 to 25 mm.
 2. The package of claim 1 wherein the first and second browning means each comprises:1. a heating layer in sheet form having a dielectric substrate having a thin semiconducting coating thereon having the property of being able to convert a proportion of the microwave energy from the oven into heat in the coating itself;
 2. a mounting board in sheet form having first and second major surfaces fabricated from a dielectric material upon which the heating layer is mounted on the first major surface.
 3. The package of claim 2wherein the microwave shield layer is a metal foil.
 4. The package of claim 3wherein the metal foil is aluminum, wherein the semiconducting coating has a specific surface resistance of from about 1 to 300 ohms per square inch.
 5. The package of claim 4wherein the coating is evaporated or sputtered aluminum, wherein each means for spacing comprises a corrugated dielectric material layer.
 6. The package of claim 5 wherein each dielectric material is cardboard.
 7. The package of claim 6 wherein each plate separation ranges from about 2 to 15 mm.
 8. The package of claim 7 wherein each heating means includes a plurality of puncture holes through the heating layer and mounting board.
 9. The package of claim 8 wherein the holes are in a regular array.
 10. A packaged food item intended to be heated by microwave heating, comprising:an outer carton having a top closed major surface, a bottom closed major surface spaced apart and parallel to the top, a pair of spaced, parallel closed side elements, and a pair of spaced, opposed open sides defining an interior food cavity, said carton being fabricated from a dielectric material, wherein each of said major surfaces and closed side elements include a microwave shield layer, wherein each closed side element has a window and wherein the bottom surface has a window; a tray having a bottom positioned within said cavity for supporting the food; a plurality of food pieces mounted in the tray; a first lower browning means mounted in the bottom of said tray intermediate the tray and the food pieces capable of converting microwave energy into heat for browning a lower surface of the food pieces located within said tray; a first spacer positioned intermediate the first browning means and the bottom closed major surface said spacer having a thickness ranging from about 1 to 25 mm. thereby defining a first plate separation between the microwave shield and the first browning means ranging from about 1 to 25 mm.; a second upper browning means for converting microwave energy into heat for browning an upper surface of the food positioned above and resting upon the food; and a second spacer positioned intermediate the second browning means and the top closed major surface said spacer having a thickness ranging from about 1 to 25 mm. thereby defining a second plate separation between the microwave shield and the second browning means ranging from about 1 to 25 mm.
 11. The packaged food item of claim 10 wherein the first and second browning means each comprises:1. a heating layer in sheet form having a dielectric substrate having a thin semiconducting coating thereon having the property of being able to convert a proportion of the microwave energy from the oven into heat in the coating itself;
 2. a mounting board in sheet form having first and second major surfaces fabricated from a dielectric material upon which the heating layer is mounted on the first major surface.
 12. The packaged food item of claim 11 wherein the microwave shield layer is a metal foil.
 13. The packaged food item of claim 12wherein the metal foil is aluminum, wherein the semiconducting coating has a specific surface resistance of from about 1 to 300 ohms per square inch.
 14. The packaged food item of claim 13wherein the coating is evaporated or sputtered aluminum, wherein each means for spacing comprises a corrugated dielectric material layer.
 15. The packaged food item of claim 14 wherein each dielectric material is cardboard.
 16. The packaged food item of claim 15 wherein each plate separation ranges from about 2 to 15 mm.
 17. The packaged food item of claim 16 wherein each heating means includes a plurality of puncture holes through the heating layer and mounting board.
 18. The packaged food item of claim 17 wherein the holes are in a regular array.
 19. The packaged food item of claim 18 wherein the food pieces are breaded, fried fish portions. 